The invention relates generally to a device for brushing the hair of at least humans, and preferably also animals. The invention relates specifically to a hair brush with a structure that allows for the ready removal of hair fibers therefrom.
Hairbrushes have been used for years to smooth, style, and detangle human hair and animal fur (both of which are referred to herein as “hair”). Hairbrushes are available in many different shapes, sizes and materials, with each variety being suited to a particular application. For example, flat hairbrushes are normally used for detangling hair, while cylindrical hairbrushes are normally used for styling and curling hair. Regardless of the particular variety, the majority of hairbrushes include a handle that is connected to, or contiguous with, a head having a plurality of bristles extending therefrom.
A problem that is commonly associated with hairbrushes is the accumulation of hair on and between the bristles. During the course of normal use, the bristles of a brush pull hair fibers away from the body of a human or an animal, with some of the hair commonly becoming entangled among the bristles. This problem is especially prevalent with long hair. Short hair generally falls out of brushes due to fewer points of contact with the bristles, and therefore too little friction holding the hair fibers to the bristles. Long hair is much more prone to being woven through multiple bristles, and being retained by friction, thereby resisting falling out by gravity, while abrading against other hair during brushing or movement of air, such as when using a hair dryer.
Hair fibers that accumulate on a hairbrush present an unsanitary condition because accumulated hair contains residue that is brought into contact with the clean hair of a subject upon which the brush is subsequently used. To a smaller degree, accumulated hair can reduce the efficacy of a hairbrush by reducing the effective portion of each bristle that is available to extend into the hair of a subject. That is, the accumulated hair can form a “pad” around the base of the bristles that can act as a barrier to complete penetration of the bristles into a subject's hair during brushing. If a sufficient amount of hair is accumulated on a brush, the bristles can become entirely covered by the hair, thereby rendering the brush useless. Finally, and subject to a user's subjective impression, a lot of hair on a hairbrush gives an unsightly appearance.
Various techniques have been devised for cleaning accumulated hair from the bristles of hairbrushes. One popular technique is to drag the tines of a conventional hair comb through the bristles of the brush, thereby transferring the accumulated hair from the brush to the comb. The hair is subsequently manually pulled from the comb and discarded. It is also known to reach between bristles of a brush with a forefinger and thumb to pinch and remove the hair. While these techniques can be effective, they require significant manual effort, they are time-consuming, and one requires an additional instrument (i.e. a comb) that a user may not have at his or her disposal. Regardless of the difficulty or time consumed, many people find the process of removing hair from a hairbrush to be nauseating.
To avoid the problems associated with cleaning a hairbrush, it is not uncommon for a user to simply dispose of the hairbrush and buy a new one. This is typically long before the useful life of a hairbrush has been exhausted, and often when the hairbrush exhibits little or no physical wear. This practice is wasteful and can be very expensive, especially in the case of professional grade hairbrushes which can cost well over $100.00.
In view of the forgoing, it would be advantageous to provide a hairbrush that can be easily cleaned with minimal manual effort and without the use of additional instruments.